Top 10 Underreported Humanitarian
Stories of 2006

Once a year the international medical aid organization Doctors Without
Borders/Médecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) releases a list of ten
stories that received little media attention despite the fact that they
concern some of the most urgent humanitarian issues and crises in the
world. This year's list, their ninth, focuses in part on the devastating
consequences of war and political unrest on civilian populations. It also
lists malnutrition and tuberculosis, both of which kill millions every
year.

Somalia: Years of violent internal
conflict have led to a catastrophic health crisis for Somalia’s
people. Malnutrition, kala azar (a parasitic disease) and tuberculosis are
major issues, and life expectancy is estimated to be only 47 years.

Central African Republic: Fighting between government
forces and various rebel groups has led to the displacement of over
100,000 civilians, many of whom have taken refuge in forests. Forced to
subsist without adequate food, water, or shelter, many of the refugees
suffer from malaria, worm infestation, and acute respiratory infections.

Tuberculosis: Every year nearly 2 million people
die from TB, and an estimated 9 million develop it. To make matters worse,
some strains of the disease have been found to be resistant to the drugs
designed to fight them.

Chechnya: After 12 years
of conflict, thousands of Chechnyans, left homeless, have been forced to
settle in temporary accommodation centers where violence, abductions, and
abuses are common.

Sri Lanka: Fighting between
government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has led to the
displacement of thousands of civilians, and put them at serious risk of
violence. In addition, restrictions placed on humanitarian organizations
have made it difficult for people to get the help they need.

Malnutrition: More than 60 million children in the world
have signs of acute malnutrition and are at serious risk of death. Though
new strategies and products could be implemented to help treat these
children, a focus on long-term development issues has diverted attention
away from immediate aid.

Democratic Republic of
Congo: Brutal violence between various armed groups, including
the national army, has devastated the civilian population. Driven from
their land, many live without adequate food or water, and face serious
risks of sexual violence, as well as meningitis, malaria, cholera, and
measles.

Columbia: Though there are some signs of
improvement, violent conflict, largely fueled by the narcotics trade, is
still a part of everyday life for civilians. Almost three million people
have been forced to abandon their homes, and many suffer from poverty,
disease, and mental disorders.

Port-au-Prince,
Haiti: Ongoing urban conflict between various armed groups has
made Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, very unsafe for civilians.
Thousands have been the victims of shootings, stabbings, and sexual
violence.

Central India: Clashes between Maoist
insurgents, Indian security forces and anti-Maoist militias in the central
state of Chhattisgarh have displaced more than 50,000 civilians, many of
whom have lost access to adequate food and health care